Brake



' March 23, 1937. AXTMANN 2,074,71

BRAKE Filed Aug. 1, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet l March 23, 1937. H. G. AXTMANN BRAKE Filed Aug. 1, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. Hmow 6.9x Tm/wv A TTORNEY M 23, 1937, AXTMANN 2,074,716

BRAKE le g- 1, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheets INVENTOR.

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BRAKE Filed Aug. 1, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 JNVENTORL v A TTORNEY March 23, 1937. H. G. AXTMANN BRAKE 6 Sheets-Sheet '5 Filed Aug. 1, 1935 r INVENTOR. bmozp aflxr/m/v/v ATTORNEY March 23, 1937. H, AXTMANN 2,074,716

BRAKE Filed Aug. 1, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY Pat nted Mar. 23, 1931 UNITED" STATES BRAKE Harold G. Axtmann, bear-born, Mich, aasignor to Bendix Products Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application August 1, "1935, Serial No. 34,235

4 Claims. (01. 188-10) This invention relates to brakes, and is illustrated as embodied in a system of mechanical connections for operating a setof four-wheel brakes.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple operating mechanism, illustrated as embodying a single horizontal lever connected'in a novel manner for operation by either of two operating members (e. g. a pedal and a hand lever). One

feature of the invention, from this point of view,

relates to mounting the described lever on a vertical knife-edge serving as its fulcrum.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the rigidity of, wheel mountings of the individual-- 1y sprung type utilizing rigid pivoted levers as substitutes for the conventional axles, to permit the use of simple cable connections for the brakes by arranging them in a novel manner relatively to the levers carrying the wheels.

Other objects and features of the invention, including a novel emergency brake operator mounted on the instrument board, and other novel combinations of parts and desirable particular constructions, will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative constructions shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an automobile chassis embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan on a larger scale of the central' part of the chassis;

Figure 4 is a partial section on the line 4--4 of Figure 3, showing one form of lever bearing;

35 Figure 5 is an elevation of the horizontal brake-operating lever;

Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 3, but showing a novel knife-edge bearing for the lever;

Figure 7 is a partial section on the line 1--'| of Figure 6, showing the knife-edge and its mountins:

Figure 8 is an elevation ure 6;

Figure 9 is apartial plan view of an alternative arrangement with a knife-edge bearing;

Figure 10 is a vertical section through the vehicle dash and instrument board, showing a novel "emergency" brake operator;

Figure 11 is a similar section showing an alternative construction;

Figure 12 is a view partly in plan and partly in section showing one rear wheel mounting and associated Darts:

55 Figure 13 is a side elevation thereof;

of the lever of Fig- Figure 14 is a view partly in plan and partly in section,.showing one front wheel mounting and associated parts; and

Figure 15 is a transverse partial section showing these parts in front elevation.

The illustrated vehicle comprises a frame I0 supported on front wheels l2 having brakes l4 and rear wheels I6 having brakes I8.

Each rear brake has a backing plate 20 (Figures 12 and 13), shown as part of a wheel mounting including an individual spring suspension for the two rear wheels. This suspension includes for each wheel a longitudinally-extending lever 22 carryingat its rear end the backing plate 20 and the usual wheel spindle 24 rigidly secured thereto. The front end of each lever 22 is pivoted on the frame l0, for example by being provided with a spherical socket 26 embracing the ball end of a bracket 28 fixed on the frame Ill. Suitable springs (not shown) resist movement-of levers 22.

Preferably advantage is taken of the abovedescribed construction to operate the brake by a simple tension connection such as a cable 30 constrained, by means such as a guide 32, to pass adjacent the-pivot 28, and thence passing to and into the brake, through the backing plate 20, to operate suitable brake-applying means such as a lever 34. e

The brake proper is not herein illustrated but may, if desired, be of the type fully described in Parker and House Patent No. 1,994,434, granted Bendix Brake Company on March 12, 1935.

If preferred, instead of the bare cables of Figures 12 and 13, the brake may be operated by Bowden controls, the cables 30 passing through flexible Bowden conduits 36 (Figures 1 and 2) secured at their opposite ends to the frame It) and the brake backing plates 20.

The front brakes are shown with backing plates 40, mounted on wheel knuckles 42 swiveled, for example by ball-and-socket joints, to two horizontal parallel transverse levers 44 and 46 pivoted at their inner ends to the chassis frame Ill. The rocking of these levers is resisted by coil springs 48 sleeved on links 50 connected to short vertical arms of levers 44.

In this case the brakes may be operated by cables 52 which are left bare and which pass through guides 54 at the swiveling axis of the wheels. If preferred, however, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cables 52 (instead of having guides 54) may pass through flexible Bowden conduits 56 secured at their ends to the frame It) and the backing Plates 40.

The frame I 8 preferably has an X-shaped subframe comprising two subframe members l8 connected to the frame I8 at their ends, and which are connected by means such as a saddle 68. Adjacent the front ends of the members 68 there may be a cross reinforcing connection 62, which may if desired support a dash 8! or 66 (Figures 10 and 11) which in turn supports a separate or integral instrument board 68 or II. The member 62 in Figures 1 and 2 is shown supporting two alternatively-operable brake operators such as a pedal 12 and a hand lever 18.

If preferred, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the hand lever may be replaced by a suitable bellcrank 18 or the like, operated by a Bowden control having a cable I8 connected to the lever 18, and a flexible conduit 88 housing the cable 16 and having its ends fixed.

In Figure 10, the cable "is connected to a vertical lever 82 pivoted at its upper end on the instrument board 68 and swinging fore and aft. Lever 82 may have a locking pawl 84 urged by a spring 86 against aflxed ratchet 88.

In-Figure 11, cable "is connected to a plunger 88 having ratchet teeth engageable with and urged by a spring 82 against the edge of an opening in the instrument board I8, and operated by a pull handle 84.

Preferably all of the brakes are operated by a novel channel-section horizontal lever 86, having a connection 88 to the hand lever II (or the lever 16) at one end, and having a connection I88 to the pedal I2 or its equivalent, at the other end. The lever 86 has the cables 88 connected between its center and one end, and has thegcables 52 connected between its center and the other end.

In Figures 1-5, the lever 86 is centrally fulcrumed on a vertical pivot pin I82 secured at one end to the member 58 and at its other end to a bracket I84 carried by member 58. A return spring I86 may be provided for the lever 86.

In Figures 6-8, a lever I86, similarly connected, is mounted on a novel vertical knife-edge fulcrum 282 formed on the forward end of a bracket 284 carried by one member 58. A safety bracket 288 prevents possible separation of the lever I86 and the fulcrum 282.

In Figure 9, the pedal connection I88 is connected to an idler lever II8 which in turn has a connection 2 to one end of a lever 286 corresponding to levers 88 and I86 described above,

and shown mounted on a flxed vertical knifeedge bearing 882. This bearing, like bearing 282. extends into the channel of its lever and forms an almost frictionless pivot fulcrum therefor.

While several illustrative constructions have been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of my invention to those particular constructions, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Brake-operating connections for a system including two front and two rear brakes comprising a horizontal lever having a fulcrum adiacent its center, a hand lever connected to one end, a pedal connected to the other end, connections to the two rear brakes between the fulcrum and the connection at one end of the lever, and connections to the two front brakes between the fulcrum and the connection at the other end of the lever.

2. Brake-operating connections for a system including two front and two rear brakes comprising a horizontal lever having a fulcrum ad- Jacent its center, two operating devices connected to opposite ends of the lever, connections to the two rear brakes between the fulcrum and the connection at one end of the lever, and connections to the two front brakes between the fulcrum and the connection at the other end of the lever.

33. Brake-operating connections for a system including two front and two rear brakes comprising a horizontal lever having a vertically arranged knife-edge forming a fulcrum and engaging said lever adjacent its center, two operating devices connected to opposite ends of the lever, connections to the two rear brakes between the fulcrum and the connection at one end of the lever, and connections to the two front brakes between the fulcrum and the connection at the other end of the lever.

4. Operating connections comprising a channel-section horizontal lever connected to different brakes on opposite sides of its center, operating means connected to the opposite ends of said lever, and a fixed bracket having a wide vertical knife-edge extending into the channel of said lever and engaging it and forming a fulcrum therefor.

HAROLD G. AXTMANN. 

